The changes, detailed in a company blog post, extend collision coverage for drivers who already have collision coverage on their personal policies, and add coverage for injuries to drivers and passengers when struck by uninsured or under-insured motorists.

The new policies, as described by the company, are in effect now and include:

Collision ($2,500 deductible and $50,000 maximum applicable to drivers who have purchased collision coverage on their personal policy)

Uninsured motorists ($1M limit covering drivers if they are hit by an uninsured motorist that is at fault)

Underinsured motorists ($1M limit covering drivers if they are hit by an underinsured motorist that is at fault)

Currently, drivers for Transportation Network Companies — a catchall term for apps like Lyft, UberX and Sidecar — must have personal insurance that covers damages to their own cars. The company provides a $1 million liability policy that covers damages to passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles, but only in cases where the driver-for-hire is at fault.

Some motorists worry about their personal insurance being dropped or claims being denied for driving for an app company at the time of a crash, since standard personal policies do not cover rides for hire. Some app-using drivers hide their side gigs from insurers because commercial insurance is much more expensive.

Lyft’s new insurance plan would cover damage to a driver’s car if the driver already has collision coverage on his or her personal policy — which is not required in California — and if the personal policy doesn’t cover the collision.

The uninsured and under-insured policies cover any bodily harm to the Lyft driver and passenger in accidents where another driver is at fault, and he or she has no insurance or has insurance that doesn’t cover all expenses.

That means, for example, if an uninsured driver hits a Lyft car carrying a passenger and is found to be at fault, Lyft’s insurance policy would cover injury costs for the driver and the passenger. The Lyft driver’s personal policy would cover damages to his or her car — or if the claim is denied and the driver has collision coverage, Lyft would cover damages to the car (with the deductible and maximum described above).

All Lyft, Sidecar and UberX policies apply only between the moment a driver accepts a fare and drops off the passenger.

Uber does not provide collision coverage for drivers on its lower-cost UberX platform, but the company has been reimbursing drivers whose claims get denied by their personal coverage, a spokesman said. Uber has had a $1 million uninsured/under-insured motorist policy in place for UberX drivers since December.

Lyft would not say which insurance carriers it is working with to provide the new coverage. It also formed a coalition with the California Public Utilities Commission — which regulates TNCs — and insurance carriers to study further insurance tweaks.

“I can tell you that insurance is definitely a high operating expense for the company,” said Lyft spokeswoman Erin Simpson. “This will cost more, but it’s a priority for us and for the community.”